In the Field: Photo Blog by Richard Wong

Photography field reports by Richard Wong. Richard’s work has been published in magazines, books, advertising, and offers fine art prints of his work. Images may be licensed as rights-managed stock photos by contacting Richard directly at Richard@rwongphoto.com or (626) 422-6151. California stock photography, fine art prints, photo blog: www.rwongphoto.com

Happy Mother’s Day

Posted on | May 13, 2012 | No Comments

Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona Del Mar, California

Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona Del Mar, California

I’d like to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day. Last year, I took my mom and grandma to the Almansor Court Champagne Brunch in San Gabriel which was great, but I wanted to do something different this year. To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I took them to Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona Del Mar. Both of them enjoy visiting gardens and looking at flowers so I figured that Sherman Gardens would be pretty and yet compact enough for my grandma to get around easily. None of us had visited Sherman Gardens before but I had driven past it a number of times while heading to other locations in Orange County so I had always been curious to see what it was like inside. It’s a great place! It’s very pretty. I’d recommend visiting if you are into gardens and in the area.

See more of my garden pictures.

Category: Announcements, California, Corona Del Mar, Orange County
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Book Review: Digital Outdoor Photography: 101 Top Tips

Posted on | April 26, 2012 | No Comments

Digital Outdoor Photography - 101 Top Tips by Heather Angel

Digital Outdoor Photography: 101 Top Tips by Heather Angel

Sterling Publishing recently sent me a copy of Heather Angel’s latest book, Digital Outdoor Photography: 101 Top Tips. Heather Angel is British nature photographer that has been been authoring nature photography books for many years. I had read some of her books when I was first starting off my photography career so I was somewhat familiar with her work prior to receiving the book for review.

The book is geared toward aspiring nature photographers. The format is a bit different than most other photo books in the how-to genre in that the content is presented as a series of essential tips for nature photographers. The tips are concise and well-illustrated, which I believe is designed to help photographers remember the material easier. Topics from light and shadow, to shooting in the rain, to blending into surroundings is covered. There are a few tips about the basics of camera operation such as metering, but the majority of the book is specific to nature photography. This is a good thing because let’s be honest, there are already a million books out there that tell you how to install your camera batteries, how to do spot metering, etc…

I think the people that can best benefit from this book are probably photographers that know the basic fundamentals of how to make an exposure, and understand the difference between f2, f5.6 and f16. But perhaps don’t have significant experience with outdoor photography. If you’re a photographer that falls into this category, you would probably get a lot of ideas for what can be done in nature photography. The book is not going to make you the next Frans Lanting or Heather Angel, no book can, but it can be a launching point for you to try some things you may not have considered before.

For more info, see the publisher’s website or Amazon.com if you’re interested in purchasing the book.

Category: Opinion, Photo Book Reviews
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Photographing Scenes with People

Posted on | April 24, 2012 | 4 Comments

Romantic Couple Walking Toward Water Fountains at Department of Water and Power with Downtown Skyrises and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Background, Los Angeles, California

Romantic Couple Walking Toward Water Fountains at Department of Water and Power with Downtown Skyrises and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Background, Los Angeles, California

The trick to photographing scenes with people in there is to shoot it like you mean it. That’s the main difference between a successful photo with people in there compared to a photo where “those damn people walked into my frame”. People within a scene can add another dimension to the image by perhaps telling a visual story that wouldn’t be there otherwise, or perhaps add a sense of scale to the scene therefore making the photo more impactful as a result. Photography is really the art of simplification. It’s about making order out of a chaotic world. The hardest thing about photographing live scenes with people in there is that you have no control over their actions and it’s hard to predict the end results of the photo.

What I like about incorporating people within my photography is that it’s a hybrid style of shooting that combines the methodical compositional techniques of traditional landscape photography with “the decisive moment” spontaneity of street photography. If the timing and anticipation is off, then you would have been better off not including people in the scene, and if the composition isn’t quite there then it’s just a bad scenic photo. In the rare moments when both come to together then you have a rare photo.

In the case of this photo of downtown Los Angeles, the couple within the photo had walked past me and I knew they were headed down the path to the water fountains so I got my basic composition in order and waited until they walked into the frame while hoping the woman would keep her arm around her man until I got a few frames off at least. I got one frame of this, and the other frame right after was of them arm-in-arm. With anticipation, timing, and a bit of luck I got my photo.

My entire thought process was centered around the actions of the couple within this scene. Yet they are the smallest element within the frame surrounded by tall skyscrapers, a beautiful water fountain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s easy to get caught up in all the obvious stuff when out shooting but I like paying attention to the details because that is the aspect that will make or break a photo.

See more of my Los Angeles pictures.

Category: Downtown LA, Los Angeles
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Garden Calendar Cover Photo

Posted on | April 23, 2012 | 2 Comments

2012 Gardens Calendar Cover

2012 Gardens Calendar Cover

My Butchart Gardens photo of the Sunken Garden is on the front of the Gardens 2012 Calendar. There are about a million of these out there so maybe you might have seen one or maybe not, but it’s always fun to see your own photography published in print. This is actually my 2nd photo from this scene to make it onto a front cover. The other version was published as a front and back cover wraparound on a Japanese magazine but I don’t have a copy of that one unfortunately.

Butchart Gardens is one of my favorite places in the world and a definite must-see if visiting Canada or the Pacific Northwest. When my mom and I visited in 2009, we spent nearly 10 hours there, getting there at opening time when this image was made, then leaving mid-day and came back after dinner to shoot until closing time at night. We had a great time.

Category: Announcements, Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island
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Pfeiffer Falls

Posted on | April 22, 2012 | No Comments

Pfeiffer Falls, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California

Pfeiffer Falls, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California

The last Big Sur waterfall I photographed made it onto the cover of Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine so I figured I’d try my luck on another one this time. While not as dramatic as McWay Falls, Pfeiffer Falls is beautiful in its’ own right. To get to Pfeiffer Falls, we had to hike up the Valley View Trail above the world’s southernmost redwood forest then back down into the canyon to access Pfeiffer Falls since the main waterfall trail was closed due to damage. There wasn’t a heavy water flow probably due to the lack of rain this winter but it’s a rather tall waterfall with several tiers. The forest was beautiful as well with a variety of wildflowers in bloom all along the trail.

See more of my California Central Coast photos.

Category: Big Sur, California, Central Coast
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Bixby Creek Bridge

Posted on | April 20, 2012 | 2 Comments

Bixby Creek Bridge Overlook, Big Sur, California

Bixby Creek Bridge Overlook, Big Sur, California

Bixby Creek Bridge Overlook is one of the most famous postcard scenes in the world and for good reason. I can’t imagine driving down Big Sur and not stopping here. I’ve always wanted to photograph a sunset here and tried to on this trip but the horizon was blocked up by clouds at sunset so it went dark early on this day. I do wonder if it would really make for a better photo at sunset or not because the beautiful turquoise blue water would be rendered black in the photo without direct overhead lighting. The intense blue water is what I notice most on clear days along the California Central Coast, as it’s not something you really see in Southern California.

Category: Big Sur, California, Central Coast
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Pacific Grove

Posted on | April 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

Spring Flowers in Bloom Along Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, California

Spring Flowers in Bloom Along Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, California

Pacific Grove is one of the most scenic towns on the California coast. Though I had been there a number of times in my life, I had never visited during the spring months until now. The entire coastline was lined with these purple flowers and carpeted with bright pink flowers. I definitely want to go back next spring for a longer trip and spend some time photographing the flowers in different types of light.

See more of my Monterey photos.

Category: Central Coast, Monterey
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What Type of Fish Are You?

Posted on | April 17, 2012 | No Comments

Samantha Looking at School of Mackerel at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California

Samantha Looking at School of Mackerel at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California

Visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium has always been one of my favorite things to do in Monterey. I find the open seas exhibits to be of particular interest because it’s so mysterious. While visiting the aquarium recently, I started thinking about how there always seems to be an odd fish or two that strays from the school going counter-clockwise and how much in common they have with most creative-types within our own species.

Convention in the open seas would say that staying with the school of fish would ensure odds of survival by numbers. Convention within our own society would say that you should go to school, become a doctor or a lawyer, work 9 to 5, get married, have two kids and you will be “successful”. And yet many of our great innovators in history went against the grain. Following common thought may lead you to a certain degree of success, but there is a ceiling to it. You are just a number following someone else’s path to success. Those who choose their own path may fall flat on their face more often, and yet the ceiling is also greater because there is the degree of unknown. You are yourself.

What type of fish are you?

See more of my Monterey pictures.

Category: Central Coast, Monterey
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Return of an Icon

Posted on | April 16, 2012 | 2 Comments

Urasenke Tea House at The Huntington's Japanese Garden

Urasenke Tea House at The Huntington's Japanese Garden

Here are two new scenes from the renovated Japanese Garden at The Huntington. The Japanese Garden re-opened a few days ago in time for the 100th anniversary. The ad slogan for the re-opening is, “Return of an Icon”.

Scene from New Japanese Garden at The Huntington

Scene from New Japanese Garden at The Huntington

See more of my Huntington Gardens photos.

Category: Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Gabriel Valley
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Carmel Beach Moonset

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 4 Comments

Group of People Watching Moonset at Carmel Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Group of People Watching Moonset at Carmel Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

I have photographed a lot of different things but one thing I’ve never photographed nor watched before was a full moon set. It was every bit as exciting as shooting a sunset.

If this tree looks familiar to you, it’s because I photographed it during my last visit to Carmel.

See more of my Monterey Bay photos.

Category: California, Carmel, Central Coast
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